Lens help?

Just got a canon 6d, and until 2014 i'll live in Guam. We have no camera shops I'm aware of and the exchange here only had 1 75-300mm 4-5.6 (its poo) EF lens, so my hand was forced. So I was wondering since I cant use my xti lenses, and i can't rent any to try, which would be the must have lens for landscapes and people? I'm already ordering a 50mm (maybe the 35mm if you all think better of it) prime, but what else would you guys recommend?

Re: Lens help?

Tyler

First thing people will want to know - What's your budget? Are we talking Canon L quality, other Canon or third-party manufacturers?

I suppose your question is about what sort of focal length/range you should be looking at. If it's, as you suggest, a walkabout lens that can be added to as your interests develop, then I suppose we're in 18-55, 24-70 or 24-105 type territory.

Edit - The other thing to do as you wait for more responses in here, is go to 'Discussion Categories'; in the menu bar above and choose 'lenses' from the options presented. Lots of discussion in there.

Re: Lens help?

I have the Canon 24-105 lens and it works well for me. I purchased it to replace my Canon 28-135 which is a bit cheaper and almost as good although the build quality is lighter.

My other general purpose lens is the Canon 70-200. This comes in a number of different versions but they are all excellent. I have the F4 IS model.

I do have a couple of Sigma lenses but not withing the range you mention. (180 mm macro & 150-500). I have found the better, and more expensive, Sigma lenses to be perfectly acceptable alternatives; and a bit cheaper.

Other third party lenses are also worth considering.

Although third party lenses do have a price advantage, and can sometimes be almost as good in quality, I can't think of a case where a third party lens is actually better quality than an equivalent 'real thing' lens from the camera manufacturer..

Re: Lens help?

Should perhaps mention there's another new player to consider if those are the two lenses you're interested in. And that's the EF 24-70 f/4L IS USM.

Here in the US it's currently priced about midway between the two lenses, and probably delivers better wide-end optics like the 24-70, but is trading in f/2.8 for IS to make a smaller/lighter but slower lens. For some folks, it seems like the worst of both worlds. But if you wanted a better performing 24-105 for travel and didn't need the extra reach, this might be worth looking at. A lot of folks are guessing it might become a new kit lens for the 6D/5DMkIII, replacing the 24-105.

I have a 24-105 for my 5DMkII, and I enjoy it very much. But I'm someone who shoots landscapes and cityscapes more than portraits, and I'm willing to trade off wide end performance for the extra reach.

Re: Lens help?

I approach camera gear purchase from another angle. First, deciding what lenses would suit me best and then what camera I would need to use that lens.

The lenses I would be interested in using on a full frame camera are:

1. 24-105mm f/4L IS
2. 24-70mm f/2.8L ii (or the Mk-i if I could find a good copy on the used market)
3. 24-70mm f/4L IS

I would not, if shooting with the 6D, worry about the rather slow f/4 aperture of two of those lenses because of the excellent high ISO capability of the 6D.

I would not really like either of the 24-70mm lenses for my only full frame lens, unless I backed it up with a longer lens like the 70-200mm f/4L IS. I like longer focal lengths for my portraits and a lot of my landscapes. When I shot with a 24-70mm f/2.8L Mk-i on a 1.6x Canon, the long side was just barely adequate for my needs and, even when using a 1.6x crop camera; I backed it up with a 70-200mm f/4L IS lens...

Regarding third party glass... I have not used the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di to any great extent but, before I purchased my 24-70mm f/2.8L mk-i I tried one out in a local camera store and the autofocus did not seem quite up to the USM of the Canon 24-70L or even the older 28-70mm f/2.8L. Of course, I really did not give this lens a full workout but, the auto focus capability difference between the Tamron and the Canon "Brick" seemed evident!

I haven't used any of the other mid-range zooms for a full frame DSLR. My own favorite combination is the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS + 70-200mm f/4L IS on a pair of 1.6x cameras...

Re: Lens help?

Thanks for the help, I did get the 75-300 just to shoot (it was 120.00 usd). So I think by all the talk I'm definitely going to shoot for the 24-105. I haven't had a lens south of F4 yet though, am i missing out? Also thanks for suggesting the 35mm for a prime, I haven't been able the see one on a full frame yet so I was torn between a 50mm. (PS) The 75-300 is actually somewhat sharp for what it is.